Tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia: can we change the way we deal with the disease?

Abstract

Infection from Mycobacterium tuberculosis results in the death of three million people worldwide per annum of which an estimated one thousand are in Saudi Arabia. The WHO has set a target for successful treatment of 85% but Saudi Arabia is currently not meeting that target. We believe that the first step in improving the control of tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia is to improve and unify the standards of diagnostic services and laboratories responsible for tuberculosis. This paper reviews the current status and suggests possible improvements.